Crew Profile

Pura Vida 2020 Crew Profiles

Paulo Guedes CAPTAIN (Australia) - ROTATION
Captain Paulo began his yachting career at the age of 17 on commercial dive vessels in Australia and has since gained extensive experience in the luxury yachting industry. Paulo has built a strong reputation over the past 14 years for running highly successful charters in a professional yet relaxed manner throughout the Caribbean, the US East Coast, and Mediterranean. Captain Paulo’s most recent position was aboard a highly popular charter yacht, Sweet Escape, which enjoyed a 90% return client basis. Lighthearted, friendly, and always equipped with a smile, Captain Paulo will ensure your trip onboard Pura Vida is a truly memorable occasion. When he’s not onboard Pura Vida, Captain Paulo enjoys time with his wife and two beautiful daughters in Australia.

Andy Barton CAPTAIN (USA) - ROTATION
aptain Andy was born and raised in the historic city of Savannah Georgia. Growing up on the Georgia coast allowed Andy the opportunity to develop a love of boating at a very young age. After pursuing his degree in Management from Georgia Southern University he could no longer resist the urge to explore the islands of the
Caribbean so he packed all of his belongings into two suitcases and moved to Antigua where he spent the next three years as captain on a sport fishing boat. He has fished all over the world including a season on ESPN’s Billfish Tournament Series.

While living in Antigua the larger yachts fascinated Andy so he decided it was time for a new adventure and started his yachting career. With over 15 years charter experience and extensive knowledge navigating the Bahamas and Caribbean, Andy finally earned his USCG 1600 Masters License and has been featured in Show Boat Magazine as one of the Top Ten Family-Friendly Charter Captains. With Andy’s personality and exceptional ability to tell sea stories, your stay on M/Y PURA VIDA will be a memorable one!

Richel Santos STEWARDESS (Dominican Republic)
Richel was born in the Dominican Republic and spent most of her childhood and early teenage years in the beautiful Caribbean. When she moved to the United States, she worked in the hospitality industry and studied Health Care Administration, which led her to work in the medical field for five years. When she was introduced to the yachting industry, she decided to take a leap and begin a new adventure in yachting. Her first yachting assignment was aboard a 75ft yacht and included the responsibilities of managing the owner’s apartment in Florida and assisting in the development and construction of a home on a private island. Richel has since worked her way up to the Chief Stewardess position onboard busy private and charter yachts. Aboard Pura Vida, Richel prides herself on providing excellent service and exceptional hospitality. Her top priority is to exceed expectations and ensure that each guest has a memorable experience.

Telana van Wyk CHEF (South Africa) - ROTATION
Telana was born and raised on a farm in a small town in the Northern Cape next to the Orange River, South Africa. Growing up, she had great interest in cooking and food and would help out at restaurants, where her true love for cooking was inspired. Telana studied at the Institute of Culinary Arts, Stellenbosch and went on to work for four years in Cape Town under some of South Africa’s top chefs. A desire to explore the world led her to pursue a career as a private yacht chef, a profession she has been enjoying since 2016. Having traveled extensively throughout Asia, she has a flair for Asian/Thai cuisine but loves experimenting with new foods and sharing her delicious meals with guests onboard. While on charter, her meals are influenced by the location and Telana enjoys incorporating local flavors into her dishes. She also enjoys learning new languages and speaks English/Afrikaans.

Cameron Carr CHEF (USA) - ROTATION
Cameron was born and raised in Northern Michigan and attended Michigan State University. After College, he learned about the yachting industry and felt the call of adventure, selling his possessions and buying a one way ticket to Ft. Lauderdale. He worked for a year aboard a vessel as a deckhand, but also was able to cook, where he realized his passion for food. He then moved to Hawaii and attended culinary school and worked in one of the busiest and most celebrated restaurants in the island chain. After almost four years of study and hard work, he returned to yachting in 2008 and has been cooking onboard yachts since. His jobs have taken him through New England, Central America, Mexico, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. In his free time he enjoys traveling and is an avid tennis player.

Stefan Najbicz DECK/ENGINEER (South Africa)
Stefan grew up in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa where he spent a lot of time as a child by the water. He quickly developed a love for the ocean and avid sense of adventure. This spurred him to take his first step towards yachting by completing his Day Skipper and Power boat courses in Cape Town. On completion of his courses, he joined a 42ft Leopard and embarked on an Atlantic crossing from Cape Town to Tortola, totaling 4,000 nautical miles. This led to his first official season in yachting onboard a 95ft Pershing in the Mediterranean in 2010. Since then, he has completed many seasons’ onboard heavily chartered yachts, gaining extensive experience in all areas and in particular, the Caribbean. Stefan’s loves being outdoors, camping, hiking, snorkeling and helping to promote a healthy environment. He has a fun and light-hearted personality and looks forward to bringing the good vibes to your vacation.

PURA VIDA offers a rotation program for the crew to ensure optimal crew rest, health and longevity.